PRC · Coverage
Nurse Licensure Examination coverage (NLE)
Here is exactly what the Nurse Licensure Examination tests: the 5 subjects, how much each is weighted, and every topic under them, mapped straight to the board's published coverage. The ExamJuan reviewer is built one lesson at a time against this outline, so nothing on the exam catches you off guard.
The complete NLE reviewer
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- Who can take it
- Graduates of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from a CHED-recognized school who meet the PRC eligibility requirements.
- Format
- 100% multiple choice, 500 items in five parts (Nursing Practice I to V), 100 items each, given over two days. The parts integrate the nursing process, communication, safety, prioritization, and pharmacology across the life span.
- When
- Held by the PRC (commonly twice a year), usually across two exam days. Confirm exact dates, time blocks, and room instructions in the latest PRC NLE program at prc.gov.ph.
- Passing
- 75% general average, with no subject rating below 60%
Table of specifications
Subjects and weights
The NLE is scored across 5 subjects. Each one counts toward your general average, so the reviewer gives every subject the depth its weight demands.
| Subject | Weight |
|---|---|
| Nursing Practice I: Foundation of Professional Nursing Practice | 20% |
| Nursing Practice II: Community Health Nursing and Care of the Mother and Child | 20% |
| Nursing Practice III: Care of Clients with Physiologic and Psychosocial Alterations, Part A | 20% |
| Nursing Practice IV: Care of Clients with Physiologic and Psychosocial Alterations, Part B | 20% |
| Nursing Practice V: Care of Clients with Physiologic and Psychosocial Alterations, Part C | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
Topics
What is tested, subject by subject
Nursing Practice I: Foundation of Professional Nursing Practice
20% of examProfessional nursing, ethics and law, the nursing process, health assessment, fundamentals of safe care, communication, and nursing research: the base every other part builds on.
- Professional nursing, RA 9173, and standards of practice
- Ethics, bioethical principles, informed consent, and legal accountability
- The nursing process, prioritization, and clinical judgment
- Health history and physical assessment (IPPA), vital signs
- Fundamentals of care: asepsis, infection control, mobility, nutrition, elimination, oxygenation
- Therapeutic communication, documentation, and patient teaching
- Nursing research and evidence-based practice
Nursing Practice II: Community Health and Care of the Mother and Child
20% of examCommunity and public health nursing, Philippine DOH programs, maternal and newborn care, child health, growth and development, and family planning.
- Community health nursing, primary health care, and levels of prevention
- Philippine DOH programs (EPI, NTP, dengue, HIV, nutrition, UHC)
- Epidemiology, demography, and community diagnosis
- Maternal health: prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and high-risk pregnancy
- Newborn care, essential newborn care, APGAR, and newborn screening
- Child health, growth and development, and IMCI
- Family planning and reproductive health
Nursing Practice III: Physiologic and Psychosocial Alterations, Part A
20% of examMedical-surgical foundations and perioperative care, fluids, electrolytes and acid-base, and the respiratory, cardiovascular, and hematologic systems, plus psychosocial foundations.
- Medical-surgical foundations, pain, inflammation, shock, and perioperative care
- Fluids, electrolytes, and acid-base balance
- Respiratory disorders and oxygenation
- Cardiovascular disorders and cardiac conduction
- Hematologic and immune disorders and blood transfusion
- Psychosocial foundations: stress, anxiety, grief, and crisis
Nursing Practice IV: Physiologic and Psychosocial Alterations, Part B
20% of examThe neurologic, gastrointestinal, renal and urinary, endocrine, musculoskeletal, integumentary and burn, and eye and ear systems.
- Neurologic disorders and increased intracranial pressure
- Gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders
- Renal and urinary disorders and dialysis
- Endocrine disorders including diabetes mellitus
- Musculoskeletal disorders, fractures, casts, and traction
- Integumentary disorders and burn care
- Eye and ear disorders and safe patient teaching
Nursing Practice V: Physiologic and Psychosocial Alterations, Part C
20% of examPsychiatric nursing, communicable and tropical diseases, emergency and critical care, oncology and palliative care, leadership and management, and integrated prioritization and clinical judgment.
- Psychiatric and mental health nursing and psychotropic drugs
- Communicable and tropical diseases and isolation precautions
- Emergency, triage, and critical care nursing
- Oncology and palliative and end-of-life care
- Leadership, management, delegation, and quality improvement
- Integrated prioritization and clinical judgment (ABC, Maslow, safety)
How the NLE is passed
A general average of at least 75%, with no subject rating below 60%. You need a general average of at least 75% with no grade below 60% in any of the five parts (RA 9173, Sec. 15). A grade below 60% in a part means you retake the whole examination. Verify the current rule against the latest PRC issuance before relying on it.
Next: build a schedule around this outline with the NLE study plan, or drill it with NLE practice questions. The full reviewer carries 5960+ original questions with explanations.